Bathing brief or like clothing article



p 5, 1967 R. L. MARBACH BATHING BRIEF OR LIKE CLOTHING ARTICLE Filed Oct. 24, 1965 H m; l 9 MM L M Z, R

flTTORN YS- United States Patent 3,339,208 BATHING BRIEF OR LIKE CLOTHING ARTICLE Raymond L. Marbach, 5463 Penfield Ave., Woodland Hills, Calif. 91364 Filed Oct. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 504,467 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-67) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A contoured loop of resilient steel wire forms a spring adapted to be placed between the wearers legs, with the anterior and posterior portions of the spring respectively engaging the pubic bone and the sacrum. A detachable enclosure 12 for the spring is latched in place and is held taut by the spring.

' BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1.-Field of invention This invention relates to an article for clothing or covering a portion of the human figure.

2. Description of the prior art is sacrificed. Thus, the body encircling element of the.

bikini is tightly tied since reliance is had merely on frictional engagement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of this invention is to provide a minimal clothing article for the lower portion of the human figure that does not require any body encircling element whatsoever. For this purpose, use is made of a spring designed to fit between the legs of the wearer, a suitable flexible covering being applied to the spring. The anterior portion of the spring engages and latches above the pubic bone, and the posterior portion engages the sacrum. The lateral portions of the spring extend downwardly along the lines where the legs join the body, and then continues between the legs and rise along the cleavage between the buttocks, terminating at the sacrum engaging posterior portion. The springs are so sized that a light pressure is applied to keep the brief in position while the lateral spring portions flex slightly in accordance with body motions, all while effectively performing its concealment function.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new article of clothing for the pelvis area that permits a new degree of freedom in the design of external garments. For example, since the lateral line along the body is not interrupted by body encircling elements, the external garment suspended from the waist or from the neck may be laterally slit to expose the thighs to the waistline.

Another object of this invention is to provide a swimsuit having minimal viscous drag characteristics whereby it may be effectively used by competitive swimmers.

Another object of this invention is to provide an article of clothing that provides a substantial sense of freedom.

Another object of this invention is to provide a clothing article of this character that can be readily manufactured, and easily laundered. For this purpose, the covering, instead of having its edges sewn about the wire, is 4 formed as an enclosure into which the wire may be inserted and from which the wire may be removed. A corresponding object of this invention is to provide a brief of this character in which a number of outer coverings of different colors or fabrics may be used with a single wire form, thus providing versatility.

Another object of this invention is to provide a clothing article of this character that can be varied as to aesthetic design by changing the contour of the wire or spring reinforcing element.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of several embodiments of the invention. For this purpose, there are shown a few forms in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification, and which drawings, unless as otherwise indicated, are true scale. These forms will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURES 1 and 2 are front and rear elevational views of a bathing brief incorporating the present invention, and shown in place upon the body of the wearer;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of the brief, a portion of the covering being broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to the line 44 of FIG. 3; a

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of'the brief, and taken along a plane indicated by line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the plane corresponding to line 66 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is a pictorial view of a modified brief.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The bathing brief shown in the drawings comprises two essential parts, a spring 10 and a flexible enclosure 12 for the spring 10.

In the present instance, the spring 10 is made as contoured loop of resilient steel wire. In side elevation, the spring 10 arcs upwardly, as shown in FIG. 4. In general, the spring loop has an anterior portion 13, a crotch portion 14, and a posterior portion 16. The loop is formed by symmetrically disposed sides 18 and 20 and bridge or connecting portions 22 and 24 at the anterior and posterior ends of the loop.

The symmetrical sides are spaced apart at the crotch portion to fit between the wearers legs. The side portions of the spring loop then extend in spaced relationship upwardly along the cleavage between the buttocks. The bridge portion 24 is located so as to engage the sacrum of the wearer.

The symmetrical sides of the loop, as they extend frontally along the anterior portion of the loop, preferably diverge substantially as shown in FIG. 3, and generally along the lines of juncture of the leg and the body. The anterior bridge portion 22 has a substantial lateral dimension, and is designed to latch just above the pubic bone. Since the bridge portions 22 and 24 are opposite each other, the spring forces balance, and there is no tendency for the garment to twist.

The enclosure 12 is conveniently formed as two identical inner and outer layers 26 and 28 (FIGS. 3 and 6) made of flexible textile, rubber or other plastic sheet or film materials. The layers are patterned according to the contour of the spring in order to form a tight fitting enclosure for the spring 10. These layers are sewn together by one continuous peripheral line of stitching 30, the ends of which are spaced from each other. The layers are then turned through the opening formed by the spaced ends of the stitching 30, and the edges of the layers are accordingly concealed. An opening 31 (FIG. 5) is formed for insertion of the spring 10.

In order to assemble the spring and the enclosure, the posterior end of the spring is inserted in the opening 31. The posterior bridge portion 24 is enlarged, as at 32, and interlocks a correspondingly contoured portion of the enclosure. Since the opening 31 is laterally restricted, the enclosure snaps or latches over the sides of the anterior bridge portion 22 as the spring fully enters the enclosure 12. The material forming the enclosure is sufficiently flexible for the foregoing assembly functions. Preferably, the enclosure 12 is slightly stretched by the spring 10.

The layers 26 and 28 have two flaps 34 and 36 that adjoin opposite sides of the opening 31. These flaps 34 and 36 are tucked into the opening, thus to conceal the spring, and assist in holding it in position.

The enclosure can be formed in other ways. For example, the inner layer 26 could be provided with transverse or longitudinally extending openings for receiving the spring. Such access opening could be closed by a slide fastener, or merely by overlapping parts of the layer. The spring also can be formed in alternate manners. For example, the side 20 between the anterior and posterior bridges may be removed. The spring may also be formed as a molded plastic part, as a stamping, or as a fabrication of a number of parts, some of which provide the necessary spring functions.

The brief may be used for hygienic purposes. Thus, absorbent material may be held in place by the spring structure, or the cover 12 could be made as a disposable element.

The brief may be used both by males and females. In the former case, a pouch or pocket may be provided to accommodate the external organs, unless the material itself is sufficiently stretchable.

I claim:

1. In a bathing brief or the like: a spring member having an anterior portion, a crotch portion and a posterior portion; the anterior and posterior portions having free ends terminating substantially at the same level above the crotch portion, said crotch portion being resilient whereby movement of said anterior and posterior portions away from each other is yieldingly opposed; said anterior portion having sides diverging in a direction toward the free end of said anterior portion; the ends of said anterior and posterior portions being located to engage adjacent the area of the pubic bone and the sacrum respectively of the body of the wearer; said spring member having sides contoured to extend substantially along the line joining the legs and the body; said anterior and posterior portions being joined together only through said crotch portion; a flexible sleeve-like enclosure for detachably receiving said spring member, one end of said enclosure being closed and conforming to the configuration of said posterior portion, the other end of said enclosure providing an opening and conforming to the configuration of said anterior portion, said opening being restricted relative to the maximum width of said anterior portion whereby said enclosure is latched by said spring member and whereby said enclosure is maintained under longitudinal tension.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said posterior portion is laterally enlarged at its end and interlocks a correspondingly contoured portion of said enclosure whereby the longitudinal tension on said enclosure is sustained over a substantial width of said posterior portion.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said spring member comprises a substantially closed loop of spring material, said enclosure having flaps adjoining its said opening and turned inwardly at the opening to encompass said anterior portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 947,551 1/19 10 Fosgate 128-117 2,534,934 12/1950 Viniegrs 128132 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

H. H. HUNTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A BATHING BRIEF OR THE LIKE: A SPRING MEMBER HAVING AN ANTERIOR PORTION, A CROTCH PORTION AND A POSTERIOR PORTION; THE ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR PORTIONS HAVING FREE ENDS TERMINATING SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE SAME LEVEL ABOVE THE CROTCH PORTION, SAID CROTCH PORTION BEING RESILIENT WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF SAID ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR PORTIONS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER IS YIELDINGLY OPPOSED; SAID ANTERIOR PORTION HAVING SIDES DIVERGING IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE FREE END OF SAID ANTERIOR PORTION; THE ENDS OF SAID ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR PORTIONS BEING LOCATED TO ENGAGE ADJACENT THE AREA OF THE PUBIC BONE AND THE SACRUM RESPECTIVELY OF THE BODY OF THE WEARER; SAID SPRING MEMBER HAVING SIDES CONTOURED TO EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE LINE JOINING THE LEGS AND THE BODY; SAID ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR PORTIONS BEING JOINED TOGETHER ONLY THROUGH SAID CROTCH PORTION; A FLEXIBLE SLEEVE-LIKE ENCLOSURE FOR DETACHABLY RECEIVING SAID SPRING MEMBER, ONE END OF SAID ENCLOSURE BEING CLOSED AND CONFORMING TO THE CONFIGURATION OF SAID POSTERIOR PORTION, THE OTHER END OF SAID ENCLOSURE PROVIDING AN OPENING AND CONFORMING TO THE CONFIGURATION OF SAID ANTERIOR PORTION, SAID OPENING BEING RESTRICTED RELATIVE TO THE MAXIMUM WIDTH OF SAID ANTERIOR PORTION WHEREBY SAID ENCLOSURE IS LATCHED BY SAID SPRING MEMBER AND WHEREBY SAID ENCLOSURE IS MAINTAINED UNDER LONGITUDINAL TENSION. 